Printer&#39;s plate-hook.



W. L. HAMILTON. PRINTERS PLATE HOOK. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 191g.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914 1/ """WM "Wii 2 %lllllltllll 1:

. iiii I mwmnnmumg h I STATES PATEN FFI.

WILLIAM: L. HAMILTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGrNOR TO HORACE W. HACKER, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

PRINTER S PLATE-HOOK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM L. I'IAMIL- TON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printers Plate- Hooks, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to plate hooks for use in printing.

The object of the invention is to provide a printers plate hook which shall be of simple and improved construction and eflicient in operation.

The invention is exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view illustratinga printers plate hook of a form provided by the invention and showing one manner of operating the same. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a printers plate hook of the form illustrated in Fig. 1, some of the parts being shown in section. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines 33 and 4-4, respectively, of F 2, Fig. 3 showing in addition a form of key for operating the hook. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a modified form of the hook and some of the parts being shown in section, and Fig. 6, is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The plate hook preferably comprises a base block 10, and a jaw, 11, movably mounted upon the base block, 10, for engagement with the edge of a printing plate, as X In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the base block, 10, is provided with a slot, 12, extending longitudinally into the same from one end, the open end of the slot being enlarged, as indicated at 13, to provide a recess for receiving a gear, as 14. The jaw plate, 11, is shown as having a shank portion, 15, extending downwardly from its under surface and moving in the slot, 1.2, of the base plate, 10. A threaded shaft or screw, 16, extends longitudinally within the slot, 12, and through a threaded aperture in the shank, 15, of the jaw plate, 11. The jaw plate, 11, is thereby moved by turning the screw. The gear, 14, is preferably formed integral with the screw shaft, 16, and serves for turning the screw. A por- Specification of Letters Yatent.

Application filed January 30, 1913.

Patented Jan. 13,1914.

Serial No. 745,183.

tion, as 17, of that end of the screw, 16, which is remote from the gear, 14, is preferably of reduced diameter and is without threads. This part of the screw, 16, extends into an aperture, 18, formed in the wall of the base block, 10, at the inner end of the slot, 12, for supporting the screw, 16, at one end. For preventing longitudinal movement of the screw, a circumferential groove, 18, is formed in the part, 17 of the screw, and pins, 19, 20 are set through the base block, 10, to be engaged with the circunr ferential groove, 18, upon opposite sides. An annular groove, 21, formed upon the inside face of the gear, 14, and a flange, 22, formed upon the end wall of the enlarged portion, 13 of the slot, 12, cooperate for supporting the screw shaft 16 at its outer end.

In some instances it may be desirable to provide for the operation of the screw shaft, 16, both by the use of a rack, as 23, and by the use of a worm, 24, either of which may be engaged with the gear, 14. The use of a rack, as 23, is permitted by providing the base block, 10, with a rabbeted shoulder, 25. A part of the periphery of the gear, 14, is thus exposed, and the rabbet shoulder, 25, serves as a guide for the rack when engaged with the gear. The rack, 28, is of well known construction and is preferably provided with a handle, as 26, for operating the same by drawing it over the gear.

In order that the rack, 23, may be used, provision is made for removing the worm, 24. In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 4, of the drawings, the worm, 24, is formed upon the lower end of a key shaft, 27. In this case, the base block, 10, is provided with a socket, 28, for removably receiving that end of the key, shaft, 27 having the worm, 24. Preferably the socket, 28, extends vertically into the base block, 10. When so constructed, an opening, 29, extends downwardly through the block from the lower end of the socket and serves for the escape of dirt, which might otherwise accumulate in the socket. If desired, the end of the key shaft, 27, may be pointed as indicated at 30, to facilitate the engagement of the worm, 24, with the gear, 14.

In order that the movement of the jaw plate, 11, effected by turning the screw shaft, 16 from the worm, 24, may not be too slow, the key shaft, 27, is preferably of small diameter, to permit of its being rapidly rotated by the fingers, and the worm 24 has a double thread. To permit the jaw plate 11 to be brought to a position over the gear 14,

the shank 15 of the jaw plate 11 is pref-- erably forwardly offset, as indicated at 31 (Fig. 4), and the jaw plate is notched, as indicated at 32, to prevent its serving to cover the socket 28.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the base block is indicated at 33, and the screw shaft at 34. In this instance the screw shaft 34 is provided with a gear 35, and is mounted in the base block 33 in the manner heretofore described for the corresponding parts of the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The gear 35 is preferably completely inclosed, as by securing a cover plate 36 to the end of the base block 33 over the gear. This cover plate is shown as being held in place by screws, as 37.

A worm 33 is permanently mounted within a socket 39 of the base block 33, and serves for turning the screw shaft 34 by engagement with the gear 35. As shown, the socket 39 opens laterally upon the end of the base block 33 and is normally covered by the plate 36. Then the parts are so constructed the worm 38 is provided with reduced end portions 40 and 41, and the socket 39 is correspondingly formed to provide bearings for the parts 40 and 41 of the worm. The cover plate 36 has instanding lugs 42 and 43, which serve to complete the bearings formed by the end portions of the socket 39 and retain the worm 38 in position. Preferably the part 40 of the worm 38 extends upwardly to the face of the base block 33, and is provided with a squared socket 44 for receiving the end of an operating key, as 45. A jaw plate 46, having a shank 47 engaged with the screw shaft 34, is moved over the block 33 by turning the screw. Preferably the worm, 38, is so positioned as to permit the jaw plate, 46, to clear the operating key, 45. The jaw plate, 46, may thus be moved completely to that end of the block, 33, adjacent the gear, 35. The jaw plate 46, may thus be used for holding one of a pair of plates which are so positioned as to leave but a narrow margin between them.

The form of construction illustrated in Figs. 14 inclusive may be quickly operated as when it is desired to release a printing plate for removal or replacement. It may also be used for effecting a light movement of the plate as when the plate is to be brought to register with other work.

I claim as my invention 1. In a printers plate hook, in combination, a base-block, a printing plate engaging jaw movably mounted in the block, one of said parts having a tubular socket for removably receiving an actuating worm, while the jaw is operatively engaged with a printing plate, and mechanism for moving the jaw including a gear permanently journaled in that one of the said parts having the said tubular socket with its axis transverse to the axis of the socket, said gear being laterally exposed to the said tubular socket for en gagement with the actuating worm when entered in the said socket.

2. In a printers plate hook, in combination, a jaw, mechanism for moving the aw including a gear, a base block supporting said parts and having a flat exterior surface and a tubular socket to each of which a part of the periphery of the gear is laterally exposed, said tubular socket being adapted to removably receive a worm key for engagement with the gear and the said flat surface being adapted to guidedly support a rack tool when engaged with the gear.

3. In a printers plate hook, in combination, a jaw, mechanism for moving the jaw including a gear, a base block supporting said parts and having a flat exterior surface, a guide shoulder extending transverse to the axis of the gear adjacent said flat surface and a tubular socket, a part of the periphery of the gear being exposed upon the said flat surface and within the said tubular socket whereby the gear may be turned either by a rack tool drawn over the flat surface and guided by said shoulder or by a worm key thrust into the said tubular socket.

4. In a printers plate hook, in combination, a jaw, mechanism for moving the jaw including a gear, a base block supporting said parts and having a tubular socket for removably receiving a worm key, a part of the periphery of the gear being laterally exposed to the said socket for operative engagement with the worm key when entered in the said socket and another part of the gear being exposed upon the outside of the said block.

5. In a printers plate hook, in combination, a base block having a tubular socket for removably receiving a worm key, a jaw movably mounted in the block, and mechanism for moving the jaw including gear por tions, one of which is laterally exposed to the said tubular socket for engagement with the worm key when entered in the said socket and another of which is exposed upon the outside of the said block.

6. In a printers plate hook, in combination, a base block, a jaw movably mounted in the block, one of said parts having a tubular socket for removably receiving a circumferentially toothed actuating key and mechanism for moving the jaw including a toothed wheel j ournaled in the part having the tubular socket, a toothed part of the said wheel being laterally exposed to the said tubular socket for engagement with the actuating key when entered in the said socket and another toothed part of the wheel being exposed upon the outside of the said part in which the wheel is ournaled.

7. In a printers plate hook, in combination, a base block, a jaw movably mounted in the block, one of said parts having a tubular socket for receiving a toothed actuating member, and mechanism for moving the jaw including a toothed wheel journaled in the part having the tubular socket, a toothed part of the wheel being laterally exposed to the tubular socket for engagement with the toothed actuating member and another toothed part of the wheel being exposed upon the outside of the said part in which the wheel is journaled.

8. In a printers plate hook, in combination, a base block having a slot extending longitudinally into the same from one end and a pair of relatively transverse intersecting apertures one being in line with the slot and opening thereinto, an outwardly facing annular flange extending about the open end of the slot, a screw shaft extending through the slot and into the said aperture in line with the slot, the screw shaft being provided with an annular groove in line with the other of said apertures, a pin seated in the last mentioned aperture and entering the said annular groove of the screw shaft, a gear fixed on the screw shaft beyond the open end of the said slot and having an annular groove upon its side face for receiving the said annular flange to prevent lateral displacement of the screw shaft, and a jaw plate running in the slot and engaged with the screw shaft, the said pin being the only means for preventing axial displacement of the screw shaft, the gear and the jaw plate WILLIAM L. HAMILTON.

W'itnesses CHARLES B. GILLSON, RUTH RINGLE.

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

